(7 minute read)
In times with COVID, we see just how important our health and wellbeing really is. It’s become apparent to more people now that self care is collective care; the wellbeing of our community is reflected by the wellbeing of each individual and the choices we each make.
Since our modern lifestyle isn’t set up for us to have well-balanced health, we have to work for it. The good news is that taking matters into your own hands is empowering and can actually be fun to explore with a curious mind. We can see this as an opportunity to experience life in a new way that is exciting rather than frightening.
In addition to social distancing and washing your hands, here are some practices to help you feel calm, boost your immune system, minimize your risk of illness, and increase your bounce-back rate. They have personally worked wonders for me during cold and flu seasons.
Please note: This is not medical advice, so always consult your medical practitioner for personalized protocol first.
Meditate twice daily. Vedic Meditation is a health game-changer, which is why it’s #1 on the list. This technique is known for its calming effect and stress reducing benefits, which is critical for immunity.
Research shows that almost every system in the body can be influenced by stress. It raises catecholamine and suppressor T cells levels, which suppress the immune system. When stress goes unreleased, it suppresses the body’s immune response and ultimately manifests as illness. This suppression, in turn raises the risk of viral infection.
Meditating daily reduces activity of the amygdala, the fear center of your brain. It shifts the brain out of the confusion and chaos of fight-or-flight thinking into a calm and deeply rested state (deeper than sleep). From this deep rest, cortisol levels drop, T cell levels are balanced, inflammation is reduced, and high blood pressure is lowered. Many people who practice it daily find themselves getting sick less often and able to recover from illness more quickly.
BONUS: It’s also the ultimate habit-supporting habit by improving sleep and reducing the impulse to stress-eat or drink too much.
Get solid sleep. Again: get plenty of rest. Without enough rest from sleep and meditation, you are increasing your chances of getting sick. A research study done at the University of California, San Francisco showed that test subjects who had regularly slept less than six hours a night were four times more likely to catch the cold compared with those who got more than seven hours of sleep.
Stress, of course, has cumulative effects on our ability to fall and stay asleep. Exposure to coronavirus news certainly doesn’t help. If you have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, then meditation can help. It reduces the mental activity from worry and stressful thinking, which can prevent melatonin from releasing from the pineal gland. Most people who practice Vedic Meditation twice daily finds that their sleep improves significantly and consistently.
Hydrate and hydrate again. Many of us forget to hydrate throughout the day especially in winter months. Hydration is key to health since it oxygenates your blood, flushes toxins, regulates digestion, and balances our body temperature. Our biology is made up of about 60% water after all.
Insufficient hydration impacts energy levels and brain function impairing mood and concentration. Headaches, constipation, and kidney stones are a few outcomes of consistently poor hydration.
Get hydrated from both water and food. Soups and stews are not only hydrating, but nourishing and grounding. Fresh fruit on warm days is a great way to hydrate too. Filtered tap water or fresh spring water is best to minimize intake of heavy metals from old plumbing, as well as chlorine and fluoride additives.
You can add a squeeze of lemon or lime for flavor and to aid in washing virions off of your pharynx and into your stomach where they can be killed instead of entering your lungs. Don’t overdo it though—too much lemon can impact your tooth enamel. Also, too much purified water alone can actually flush your system too much causing dehydration. Everything in moderation for balance with consistent daily routine is key.
BONUS: When possible, avoid using plastic bottles, and avoid ice too. Both of these habits are unnecessary in many cases, and taxing on both your body and the environment. Plastic has high potential for leaching and pollutes the environment. Ice can compromise your digestion, and freezing water takes extra energy to make. They’re small conveniences I recommend sacrificing for the greater good when you have the privilege to do so.
Be Mindful about media. Notice the quality of what you’re taking. Media influences our thinking and behavior. Are you feeling anxious after watching the news? Paranoid after scary movie? Drained after scrolling through FB or IG? Become aware of how you’re feeling and notice the source. Stop and unfollow content that’s not making you feel good. Follow content that’s helpful, uplifting, and inspiring.
With so much misinformation out there it’s so important to find quality journalism that’s based in science and facts rather than sensationalized opinions. Notice if and when you may get caught in the hypnosis of media sensationalism or conspiracy theories. It’s quite rampant and can even be addicting. Question the information you hear. Look for cited sources that are credible (this includes me—if you need me to cite something please point it out).
Prefer to slow down and read something insightful or expansive in paperback? Try a book from my reading list.
Reduce sugar intake. Honestly, I just ate a piece of my roommates birthday cake, so I get how tough this one can be, especially if you have a habit of eating sugary snacks as a stress coping mechanism. Do some research and see what it feels like to skip dessert, drink coffee or tea sans sweetener, and avoid packaged foods for two weeks. It might be hard initially, but chances are you’ll feel amazing after a couple weeks.
A study from Stanford shows that avoiding sugar can help us reduce chronic inflammation, which contributes to the conditions that put us at greater risk for viral infections. It can also help us fight off obesity, which has been found to be linked to the severity of viral infections.
Dates make a great alternative sweetener for home-cooking. I’ve personally found that my sweet tooth subsides when I’m reducing stress through meditation and eating a health balance of fats, proteins, and carbs for all 3 meals daily.
A form of sugar that could actually be helpful for respiratory health is the sugar that comes along with Chyavanprash, an Ayurvedic nutritive jam that contains special immune boosting herbs like amalaki fruit, which is a powerful antioxidant high in Vitamin C (10X more than oranges). It has sugar, raw honey, and ghee in it to help the body absorb and metabolize the complete herbal benefits throughout the whole body. This tonic promotes digestion while supporting the body’s natural defenses. A small teaspoon amount each day may keep the doctor away.
The only time Chyavanprash is not recommended is if you have a lot of toxic build-up in your digestion, which could show up as poor appetite, constipation, chronic inflammation, or IBS. Please consult with your doctor and an Ayurvedic practitioner before ordering and taking.
Eat alkaline and grounding food. Steamed or sautéed leafy greens, broccoli, and zucchini are excellent examples of alkaline vegetables healthy for digestion. Not to mention, they’re jam-packed with nutrients like vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and zinc.
Cooking your veggies is easier for the body to digest than raw, which helps to reduce bloating and anxiety. It also kills any potential pathogens that may have made their way onto the veggies during washing and cutting.
When there’s a lot of change going on, it’s important to keep the body grounded. Sweet potatoes are super nutritious, taste great, calming for the mind, and grounding for the body.
Need some new recipes? Try my Ayurvedic oatmeal recipe and kitchari recipe for optimum digestion.
Get moving outside. If you have access to fresh air, sunlight and greenery, this combo will be so helpful for your mind and body during social distancing. As mammals, we naturally have an innate need to connect not only with our friends and family, but with nature and our inner selves too. Human experience is in relation to everything.
Always follow social distancing protocol, even if it’s only a 15 minute stroll through a nearby park. Wearing a mask to reduce risk of exposure is essential.
We need sunlight to create Vitamin D in our bodies, which is a fat soluble nutrient essential to the health and functioning of your immune system. Vitamin D enhances the pathogen fighting effects of monocytes and macrophages — white blood cells that are important parts of your immune defense — and decreases inflammation, which helps promote immune response. Of course, too much sun leads to sunburn, so be mindful about using sun protection. Hats, shade, and limiting sun between 11am-3pm is the healthiest approach. Sunscreen is recommended as a last resort due to the concern for chemicals absorbing into the bloodstream and polluting the environment. Although better to protect than get burnt.
Surrounding yourself in natural greenery is shown to be beneficial too. A study from Stanford found that young adults who walked for an hour through campus parkland were less anxious afterward and performed better on a test of working memory than if they had strolled along a busy street.
Garden. Building off of the last one, gardening allows us to reconnect with nature on a deeper level. It helps us to slow down, get present, and regain perspective. Connecting with the earth by getting our hands in the soil or feet in the grass is energetically grounding, and is shown to reduce anxiety and boost happiness.
Microbes from garden soil are great for your microbiome too. Did you know that microbes from soil are actually a primary source of Vitamin B? Wild! It’s where animals get Vitamin B, which then shows up in sources of animal protein. If we over-sterilize our veggies it removes that essential Vitamin B we can receive from vegetables. Growing your own food is shown to improve digestion, which in turn boosts immunity.
Have FUN! Don’t take this, yourself, or anything too seriously. We have a serious responsibility not to be so serious. Although respect is important, and Shelter in Place is all about respecting our communities, let’s find the fun in it. Don’t let social distancing get you down. Play play play.
Play is a great way to shake things up and break free from old patterns of thinking and doing. Play boardgames with your kids. Put on a costume. Have a spontaneous living room dance party. Get present. Get creative. Make art. Play music. Let your inner child loose.
Got a fun idea? Share in the comments!
